1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to golf clubs, and, in particular, to a golf club head having a skeletal structure which provides load support to the club head.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional wood-type golf club head is comprised of a load-bearing outer shell with an integral or attached strike plate. The United States Golf Association (USGA) provides golf club manufacturers with a set of rules that govern various characteristics of a wood-type club head. For example, the rules prohibit holes through the head.
Within the confines of these rules, golf club manufacturers have throughout the years experimented with the distribution of mass in the shell of the club head in order to position mass in a manner that will achieve desired performance objectives. For example, certain regions of the strike plate and/or outer shell have been thinned or thickened, thereby freeing extra mass to be positioned where needed most, such as in load bearing regions of the shell. Club heads have also been provided with strengthening structures, such as internal ribs, that bolster the strike plate or shell structure and/or distribute loads from one region of the shell to another region of the shell. Other club heads have been provided with weight plugs that are attached to the shell in order to concentrate weight in a particular region.
The Applicant has ascertained that the conventional structural framework of a load bearing outer shell attached to a strike plate does not necessarily provide a golf club with maximum performance characteristics. The ability of a golf club manufacturer to modify the performance characteristics of a golf club head can be greatly increased if the club head is not limited by this conventional structural framework. For example, a golf club manufacturer can have greater leeway in varying the performance characteristics of a golf club if the mass is located in regions not directly adjacent to the club head""s outer envelope, defined by exposed portions of the strike plate and outer shell.
However, as mentioned, the allowable structure of the club head is limited by various practical considerations, such as the USGA rules. Even aside from the USGA rules, golfers have grown accustomed to the traditional club head structure so that any departure from such a structure may adversely affect the golfer""s performance. The traditional outer envelope also provides benefits to the aerodynamics of the club head during the swing. Therefore, from a practical standpoint, the golf club designer must allocate at least a percentage of the mass of the club head so that the structure of the club head conforms to the traditional structure of a smooth outer envelope. However, it is greatly desirable to minimize this xe2x80x9cstructural massxe2x80x9d of the club head, thereby freeing up a maximum percentage of mass that the designer could judiciously allocate to performance considerations of the club head.
Thus, the present invention provides a golf club that conforms to USGA rules with respect to the structure of the club head, yet provides the golf club manufacturer with the ability to judiciously distribute mass to adjust the performance characteristics of the club head.
One aspect of the invention is a golf club comprising a shaft and a club head coupled to the shaft. The club head includes a strike face, a shell defining an interior volume, and a skeletal structure. The skeletal structure includes a plurality of elongate skeletal members. A weight is substantially entirely supported by the skeletal structure. The weight and the skeletal structure collectively comprise at least 30% of the entire weight of the club head.
Preferably, the shell of the golf club head encloses the skeletal structure. Advantageously, the golf club head includes a strike plate that defines a strike face, and at least one of the skeletal members extends rearwardly from the strike face.
Desirably, the weight is suspended within the interior volume. Preferably, the skeletal members are spaced from the shell and are attached to the periphery of the strike face.
Another aspect of the present invention is a golf club including a shaft and a club head coupled to the shaft, wherein the club head includes a strike face, a skeletal structure comprising a plurality of interlinked elongate skeletal members, and a weight supported by the skeletal structure. Preferably, the golf club head includes an outer shell defining an internal volume. Advantageously, the skeletal structure is located within the interior volume defined by the outer shell. Preferably, the skeletal structure and the weight comprise at least 30% of the weight of the club head.
Another aspect of the present invention is a golf club including a shaft and a club head coupled to the shaft. The club head comprises a strike face, a shell defining a interior volume, and a skeletal structure within the interior volume. The skeletal structure includes a plurality of elongate skeletal members, at least one of which is suspended through the interior volume. Desirably, the club further includes a weight supported by the skeletal members. Preferably, the weight and the skeletal members comprise at least 30% of the weight of the club head.
Another aspect of the present invention is a golf club, including a shaft and a golf club head coupled to the shaft. The club head includes a strike plate defining a strike face, a shell defining an interior volume, and a skeletal structure within the interior volume, wherein the strike plate and the skeletal structure bear at least 50% of the load when a golf ball is struck by the strike face.
Another aspect of the present invention is a golf club, including a shaft and a club head coupled to the shaft. The club head includes a strike face, a shell defining a strike plate and an outer shell. The club further includes a weight spaced at least 5 mm from an outer envelope defined by the outer shell and the strike plate.
Yet another aspect of the present invention is a golf club, comprising a shaft and a golf club head coupled to the shaft. The golf club head comprises a strike plate, a sole flange, and a shell defining an interior volume. The strike plate and sole flange are integrally connected, and the sole flange includes one or more weight plugs therein.
Yet another aspect of the present invention is a golf club head comprising a hollow shell, a strike plate, and one or more skeletal supports. The shell defines a cavity and has an opening at about the position of a face portion of the golf club head. The strike plate is secured to the shell so as to close the opening. The supports are secured at a first end to outer edges of the strike plate and extend within the cavity to an inner surface of a wall of the shell, the inner surface being on a side of the cavity generally opposite to the strike plate. The supports are secured at a second end to the inner surface of the shell.
Yet another aspect of the present invention is a golf club comprising a club head and a weight movably secured to the club head. In a narrower aspect, the present invention provides a golf club comprising a shaft, a club head coupled to the shaft, and a weight. The club head comprises a strike face, a shell defining an interior volume, and a skeletal structure comprised of a plurality of elongate skeletal members. The weight is substantially entirely supported by the skeletal structure, and is movable with respect to the strike face in a direction generally perpendicular to the strike face. The weight is biased by one or more resilient members, such as springs or elastomeric spring blocks. The resilience of the resilient members is such that when said club head strikes a golf ball, the compression and recovery of the club head is synchronized with the compression and recovery of the ball. In an alternative embodiment, such synchronization can be created by utilizing a compliant skeletal structure. Such compliance can be created by using curved skeletal members.
For purposes of summarizing the invention and the advantages achieved over the prior art, certain objects and advantages of the invention have been described herein above. Of course, it is to be understood that not necessarily all such objects or advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other objects or advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.
All of these embodiments are intended to be within the scope of the invention herein disclosed. These and other embodiments of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments having reference to the attached figures, the invention not being limited to any particular preferred embodiment(s) disclosed.